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Culture beat: 23 October

12:22 23/10/2015
Lend your support to human rights events, celebrate UN Day, catch a rare screening of an Edith Cavell film and enjoy a shot of comedy with stand-up talent Daniel Sloss

The Freedom Festival is an annual autumn gathering of human rights activists with documentaries, talks, performances, exhibitions and concerts until 31 October. Théâtre National and KVS host the event which combines conviviality with good causes. Tonight’s live gig by Ghinzu is booked out but tickets are selling for all the other concerts which include Morcheeba and S.W.A.N. on Thursday evening and Hindi Zahra and Tiken Jah Fakoly (pictured) on the closing date. Screenings include films from all over the world.

While iconic buildings in Brussels will be lit up in blue on Saturday, the Grand‘Place is the centre of festivities on Sunday for the 70th anniversary of the United Nations. The UN Day has activities for all the family from 11.00 to 17.00. Among them, a Dreamcatcher workshop for kids is an opportunity to learn about the lives of Palestinian refugee children and you can visit a food tent and grasshopper farm to sample some home-grown exotic and edible surprises. Illuminated buildings include the Grand‘Place, City Hall, Flagey and Bozar in Brussels, City Hall in Bruges, Ghent’s Belfort, along with hundreds of landmarks around the world.

One UN country calling for support is Greece with the Brussels organisation 12 hours for Greece staging a fundraising musical event at Halles de Schaerbeek on Tuesday. It will be a Belgian premiere for the Rebetiko concert, Les musiques des Grecs by Café Aman with Costas Ferris and Thesia Panayotou. The event hopes to raise €30,000 to provide heating fuel for 30 schools in Greece. The austerity drive in Greece has resulted in major cutbacks in the education sector. Set up by EU citizens living in Belgium, the charity organisation has been organising events in Brussels since 2012.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe hit Daniel Sloss makes his first appearance in Belgium at English Comedy Brussels on Tuesday evening at 20.00. The precocious Scot (he’s 24 and has eight years of stand-up experience) will be performing his award-winning half-man, half-X-box show at The Black Sheep in Flagey. Sloss is joined by his support act, likeable Geordie Kai Humphries.

As part of the Edith Cavell commemorations, the 1928 silent film Dawn is being screened with live music accompaniment at Uccle Cultural Centre on Wednesday 28 October at 20.30. The film by Herbert Wilcox has been restored by Belgium’s Cinematek. It tells the story of the British nurse who was executed for aiding prisoners of war in 1915. Sybil Thorndike plays the role of Cavell. Free entrance but reservation necessary by telephone 02 374.64.84 or via reservation@ccu.be. A reception follows, offered by Uccle mayor Armand De Decker.

Afterwork party peeps @seven are preparing to scare in a Haunted Halloween Costume Ball on Friday 30 October. For a frightful night of horror, dress up in your most awesome outfit and scarper to la Bouche à Oreille where the fun starts from 19.00. Dinner by reservation, costume awards at 21.30 and DJ ball from 22.00. Family Halloween activities include a Witches walk at Maison Pelgrims in Saint Gilles on Saturday at 17.30, part of the Fantastic Museum’s Halloween Festival from 27 October until 4 November.

Written by Sarah Crew